Electric connector



April 30, 1940. F. E 'woLcT-r 2,198,646

ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Original Filed July l0, 1935 l NIH esame Apr. so, 1940 l 2,198,646

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC CONNECTOR Frank E. Wolcott, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to The Silex Company, a corporation of Connecticut Original application July 10, 1935, Serial No. 30,647. Divided and this application August 24, 1938, Serial No. 226,599

s claims. (C1. 21a-19) Myinvention relates to electric connectors. vertical axis of the member I and in parallel It has among its objects to provide an improved relation and having upper slotted ends acceselectric connector, and, more particularly, such sible from above the support, and their lower means especially adapted to' use in connection threaded ends carrying nuts 6 received in suitable 5 with electric heating Vdevices of the type decorresponding recesses 'I in the under surface of 5 scribed and claimed in my copending applica- Ythe member I. Preferably, also, an insulating tion Serial No. 30,647; filed July'l, 1935, of which washer 8 is provided between the member l and this application is a division. A further object the support 2 and the screws 4 are also passed of my invention is to provide an improved conthrough this washer, while a metal washer 9 is 10 nector adapted to connect a heating unit to a disposed .coaxially with the member I and be- 10 suitable base and whereby, when the latter and tween the insulating washer 8 and the support the connecting meansare disposed above the 2. Here it will be also noted that at right angles heating unit in the path of the heat rising thereto the screws 4, and also on opposite sides of the from, it is made possible toeliminate the breakaxis of the member I, vertical contact carrying ing down and sticking of the electrical contact screws ID areprovided in the member I, as shown 15 members, heretofore experienced. A still further in Figure 2. These screws III herein are oppoobject of my invention is to provide such imsitely disposed with respect to the screws 4 and proved electrical connector means comprising are threaded at their upper ends into nuts II in improved contacts and also connected and arsuitable corresponding recesses I2 in the top ranged in an improved manner and havingimoi the insulating member I and beneath the inm proved connecting and releasing means operable sulating washer 8. Also, they have their shanks from the top of the support from which the heatextending downward through apertures I3, while ing element depends. 'I'hese and vother objects their lower headed ends carry hollow, internally and-advantages of my improved construction will, round and tapered, .externally hexagonal, in-

` however, hereinafter more fully appear. tegral socket sleeves or members I4 of truncated 25 In the accompanying drawing, I have shown form, each disposed in slightly larger correspondfor purposes of illustration one embodiment ing, chambers I5 opening out through the bottom which my invention may assume in practice. of the member I, from which bottom the lower In the drawing: A ends of the socket members I4 protrude slightly Figure 1 is a. side elevation, partially in section, in the illustrative construction. Herein, the 30 of this form of my improved construction shanks of the screws I3 extend through suitable mounted in depending relation on a suitable apertures I 6 in the tops of the socket members support; l I4, and slotted heads I'I are provided on the lower Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken at ends of these shanks. Thus, when these slotted right angles to the sectioninFigure 1; heads are rotated, the soLlret members I4 are 35 Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view online 3 3 of pressed upward to press conductors I8, I8a Figure 2 of the upper insulating support, the between the upper ends of the socket members heating unit being removed; Y I4 and washers' I 9 disposed coaxially on the Fig. 4 iS 2110i plan View Online 4-4 0f Figure 2, screws I0. As shown, suitable grooves 20 are 40 of the heating unit when separated from its upalso provided in the under face of the insulating 40 per insulating support, and member I to permit the passage of the conductors Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the heating I8, I8a to the binding posts thus provided, while unit. these conductors are eectually insulated from In this illustrative construction, I have shown one another and the screws 4 by their disposition my improved connector means as acting to conin these grooves 2U. Attention here is further 45 nect a suitable insulating base I carried by any directed to the fact that the insulating member suitable support 2, with' a depending vertically I, insulating washer 8 and metal washer 9 are disposed heating unit 3; the connecting means provided with registering apertures adapted to between the insulating member I and heating provide anV axial passage 2I in which is disposed unit 3 being of an improved construction, as herethe upper threaded end of an adjusting screw 22 50 inafter described. connected to and operative to more the heating Herein, an insulating member I of generally unit 3 axially, as hereinafter described, an adround or disc form is suitably connected, as by justing and holding nut 23 in engagement with vertically disposed screws 4, to the support 2, the the upper surface of the support, herein being screws 4 being disposed on opposite sides of the threaded on the extremityA of this screw which v5|;

extends upwardly beyond that surface of the support 2.

Referring to the heating unit 3, it will be noted that the same includes a generally cylindrical body of insulating material disposed in spaced relation vertically below the insulating member I, and that the lower end of the adjusting screw 22 is extended through an axial passage 24 in the top of this body; this screw being provided on its lower end with a head 25 received in a correspondingly shaped recess 2 3 in the top of an axial chamber 21 in the member 3, while a lock nut 28 is provided on and near the bottom of the threaded portion of the adjusting screw and disposed in a corresponding recess 29 in the top of the member 3. Improved connectorl contact means are also provided on the top of the insulating body of the heating unit 3, which are adapted to cooperate with the connector sockets I4 on the upper insulating base I and to be moved into and out of operative relation to these sockets upon operation of the adjusting nut 23. These contact means herein include hollow, externally tapered and internally cylindrical and threaded integral truncated sleeves or members 30 having on one end external tapered surfaces of round cross section engageable with the like internal tapered surfaces of the sockets I4 and hexagonal opposite ends in suitable slightly larger recesses 3I in the top of the body of the member 3. As shown, the upper ends of threaded connecting screws 32 are threaded into the lower ends of these members 30 and extend downward therefrom with their grooved heads 33 accessible from the top of a hollow portion or chamber 21 in the heating unit. One of the screws 32 also has its head form a binding screw for an end portion 34 of a resistance element 35 wound on the outer surface of the heating unit 3 around this chamber, while the other end 36 of the resistance element is clamped between the contact 30 on the other screw 'and the base of its recess 3|. Thus, it will be evident that current will ilow from the line to which the conductors I8, I8a are connected, through the resistance Wire 35 and back to the line, while passing through the internally tapered socket members I4 and the externally tapered contacts 30.

In assembling my improved connector construction, the contacts 30 are disposed in registry with the sockets in the socket members I4, with the threaded member 22 extending up through the axial aperture 2i in the insulating member I, whereupon, the contacts 30 having previously been correctly adjusted by the screws 32, by simply tightening the adjusting nut 23, the contacts 30 will be drawn into the tapered sockets in the socket members Il, in such manner as to` provide effective contact therewith. When the internally and externally tapered surfaces of the parts are thus in contact, it will be evident that a uniform and continuous contact is provided not only around the axis of the parts, but longitudinally of the latter for a substantial distance, all in such manner as toinsure an obviously highly advantageous electrical connection between the parts. Further, it will be evident that the integral sleeve type tapered sockets and contacts thus provided, are oi' a character well adapted to withstand the intense heat generated by the resistance element 35, without sticking. Also, as a result of the tapers provided, the contacts 30 may be moved, as desired, closer together or reversely to disengage the tapered socket members I'l, by a suitable operation of the ad- Justing nut 23 which, when adjusted, causes the heating unit 3 to move relative to the base I.

As a result oi my improved construction, it has been found practical to utilize heating units of very high wattage, for example, up to a wattage o! 2000, without the connector means, including the cooperating tapered socket members and tapered contacts, showing any objectionable elects from this high temperature. Further, it is found that contact means of my improved construction stand up under long continued service and continue to function satisfactorily electrically, without any evidence of deterioration or sticking, under conditions which are impossible with connectors of previous constructions. Moreover, even after long continued service, the contacts are readily separated whenever desired, as, for exampleto permit the substitution of a heating unit, by a, mere ready and quick adjustment of the adjusting nut. These and other advantages of my improved construction will, however, be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While I have in this application specifically described one form which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that the same is shown for purposes of illustration, and that my invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination, a support, an insulating base thereon, a heating unit having an insulating base coaxially disposed below and spaced from said iirst mentioned base, a plurality of cooperating current conducting sockets and contacts bridging the space between said bases, said sockets being carried by said iirst mentioned base and said contacts being carried by said second mentioned base, and means operable from the top of said support and above said rst mentioned base for drawing said bases together and forcing said sockets and contacts longitudinally into good current conducting relation.

2. In combination, a support, an insulating base thereon, a heating unit having an insulating base coaxially disposed below and spaced`irom said first mentioned base, a plurality of cooperating sockets and contacts carried by confronting portions on said bases, said sockets having elongated tapered contact surfaces and being mounted in recesses in said first mentioned base and said contacts having correspondingly elongated tapered surfaces projecting above said second mentioned base and bridging the space between said bases, and means connected to said second mentioned base and extending through f said first mentioned base and said support and operable from above the latter for drawing said bases together and forcing said sockets and contacts longitudinally into current conducting relation.

3. In combination, a support, an insulating base thereon, a hollow heating unit having an insulating base coaxially disposed below and spaced from said first mentioned base, cooperating sockets and contacts carried by said bases and bridging the space therebetween, said sockets being disposed in recesses in said first mentioned base and having inner elongated tapered contact surfaces, and said cooperating contacts being carried by said second mentioned base and n base thereon, a heating unit having an insulating base disposed below said support so that said bases are disposed in the path of the rising heat,`

cooperating contacts carried on confronting prtions of said bases, and axial connecting means for said bases including an element carried byl the base of said heating unit and extending through said first mentioned base and said support and a cooperating element having a clamping connection with said first mentioned element and operable from the exterior of said support.

5. In combination, a support, an insulating base thereon, a heating unit having an insulating base disposed vertically below said base, cooperating tapered contact and socket means carried by confronting portions of said bases and holding said bases in spaced relation, and means for drawing said contact and socket means into operative relation having an element carried by said second mentioned base and a cooperating connecting and releasing element' operative from the exterior of said support.

6. In combination, a support having an insulating base, a heating unit having an insulating base spaced vertically below said support, co-

operating tapered contacts and sockets carried by said bases and bridging the space therebetween on opposite sides of the axis of said support and unit, and an axial connection between said support and unit including means extending through 5 said first mentioned -base and support and into said second mentioned base for drawing said contacts and sockets into current conducting relation.

'7. In combination, a support having an insu- 10 lating base, a heating unit having an insulating base and disposed vertically below the base of said support, cooperating tapered contact and socket means carried by said bases, and means for drawing said contact and socket means into current conducting relation having cooperating connecting elements, one carried by the base of said heating unit and extending through said rst mentioned base and said support and the A other operable from the exterior of said support.

8. In combination, a support, a base carried thereon, a heating unit having a base and disposed coaxially with said first mentioned base, cooperating tapered socket and tapered contacts disposed on opposite sides of the axis 'of said 25 bases and having the tapered surfaces of said contacts in engagement with the tapered surfaces of said sockets, and means carried by said heating unit andl extending through said first mentioned base and said support and operable from the exterior of the latter for moving said tapered contacts relative to said tapered sockets, said last mentioned means being disposed coaxially of said first mentioned base and said heating unit and operable to permit movement of said tapered contacts in either direction relative to said tapered sockets.

E E. WOLCOTT. 

